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Simple Tip: Smash Olives to Remove the Pit

partysugar — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 10:15:59 -0700

Last Sunday I was making dinner with my friend Sonia. While she deveined shrimp, I prepared the salad. "What are you doing?" she asked as I repeatedly slammed my hand on top of a knife. I was pitting olives and surprised to learn that she had never seen anyone pit olives before. As I was teaching her my technique, I realized I should share it with you, too!

To pit olives, for making salad or tapenade, place the olive on a cutting board. Set a wide kitchen knife on top of the olive. With the palm of your hand, hit the knife hard - like you would do when peeling garlic. The pressure flattens the olive and the pit pops out easily. This method also works for cherries, but be careful, cherries produce a lot of juicy splatters. How do you pit olives?

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Simple Tip: Chill Kitchen Tools Before Whipping Cream

YumSugar — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 09:00:43 -0700

While whipping cream for strawberry shortcake the other day, I was reminded of a helpful prep tip that I always employ: stay cool. Using refrigerated cream helps produce stiff peaks, but it's important to chill your mixing bowl and beaters - and even keep the kitchen frigid, if possible. When cream is whipped at a lower temperature, fat globules stick together to support the foam created by whipping in a large amount of tiny air bubbles. Therefore, beating cream at a cooler temperature will produce the largest amount of volume.

What are your best suggestions for whipping heavy cream?

Simple Tip: Microplane Garlic

partysugar — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 10:15:38 -0700

While watching Nancy Silverton make pesto in Aspen, I had one of those "why didn't I think of that" moments. To quickly season the celery leaf pesto, Silverton grated in garlic. However, instead of using her regular one-sided grater, she microplaned it: "I like to microplane my garlic. It's so much easier than chopping it." Over the weekend, I experimented with her technique and was delighted by the results. It's a quick and simple way to infuse a dish with lots of garlic flavor and it doesn't require the hand strength of a garlic press. Genius! Have you ever grated or microplaned garlic?

How to Roast Beets

partysugar — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 03:30:52 -0700

Last week my sister and I had a delicious beet and wheat berry salad at A16 restaurant. While we were munching on the juicy beets and pop in your mouth berries, she wondered how she could prepare beets in a similar manner at home. Well, Patricia - and anyone else who wants to know how to make beets - here's what you do:

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Trim the top and stems off the beets.
Place the beets in a small baking dish and add 1/4 inch water (or you could use fresh orange juice for more flavor).
Cover with foil and roast for 35-50 minutes, or until the beets are tender (like a baked potato).
Cool slightly. Working quickly and using your fingers, peel off the skin and discard.
Slice into wedges or chunks. Voila! The beets are ready for salad.

What's your favorite way to enjoy beets?

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How to Chiffonade Vegetables

YumSugar — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 05:50:44 -0700

Now that you've become acquainted with the culinary term chiffonade, learn how to employ the kitchen cutting technique in your cooking. It's easy - we've got step-by-step instructions to show you how. This method applies to herbs used for garnish, like basil and sage, or vegetables that have firm leaves, such as cabbage, spinach, collard greens, or chard.

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Definition: Chiffonade

YumSugar — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 15:00:40 -0700

Chiffonade
A kitchen cutting technique used to shred the leaves of herbs and vegetables into long, skinny ribbons. It is accomplished by stacking leaves, rolling them tightly, then slicing the rolled leaves thinly and evenly with a sharp knife, producing long strips. A chiffonade may then be used in a light sauté or as a garnish.

Do You Mise en Place?

partysugar — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 06:50:12 -0700

Mise en place is a French culinary term that refers to the gathering and prepping of ingredients before starting the cooking process. It's standard practice in restaurant kitchens, but I'm wondering how many of you do it at home?

Simple Tip: Chill Broth to Skim Fat

YumSugar — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 10:30:49 -0800

If you're making chicken broth, stock, or any type of clear, meat-based soup this Winter, keep in mind that chilling the soup will make skimming excess fat much easier.

It may be hard to discern fat from broth when it's warm, but when the liquid has been chilled, any fat turns white, congeals, and rises to the top. Skimming it off - which is a cinch when done with a large spoon - means you'll be left with a soup that's less greasy and has more concentrated flavors.

Do you do the same with your soups? If you have another tip for making soup, share it with me below!

How Often Do You Burn Things?

partysugar — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 09:00:30 -0800

It seems like in every episode of 30 Minute Meals that I watch, Rachael Ray makes a comment about how she "always burns" things in the broiler. Although I've never actually seen her burn an item, she does seem like the type of person who could be prone to burning. I'm usually pretty good about not burning bread or bacon, but recently, when I made sloppy Joe's, I totally forgot about the buns! How about you? When was the last time you burned something? Is there one item you are more likely to burn than others?

Yummy Links: From Cherry Cupcakes to Sushi Etiquette

partysugar — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 03:00:41 -0800

Cherry baby cupcakes are adorably scrumptious. - Hostess With the Mostess
Since Valentine's Day is on a Saturday, skip the expensive dinner and opt for a romantic breakfast in bed. - Chow
Eight cooking techniques that build flavor. - The Kitchn
Due to the salmonella scare, peanut butter sales are down almost 25 percent. - Serious Eats
Would you drink with a Kellogg's Froot Loop cereal straw? - Eat Me Daily
Take a crash course in sushi etiquette with Japanese guru Hiroko Shimbo. - Bon Appétit

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